The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-02-11

makes a lew 1ottlnSS III II PROVOKING uellDe-
rate manner, after which he calls some one
from an inner room, retails to him the outline
of my narrative and in perhaps ten minutes
from the time we entered we start homewards
escorted by two stalwart members OF the
force.
Almost before we have rung, Ada opens the
door for us. Mother is still nervous ard
harassed, Jack excited at the PROJECT Of an
adventure.
"What would you adviser asks mother,
addressing the taller of the policemen. This
person is in a bedroom upstairs"
'tSome one had better wake her-just in case
you're mistaken, ma'am," he adds, half apollo
getically for appearing to doubt mother.
N'You had better knock and explain matters,
and see what she has to say for herself" he
goes on, turning to me. You need not be in
the least afraid, we won't be three yards of"
Thus adjured, I mount the stairs with a beat
ing heart, while the others group themselves
at the bottom. Three times | knock before
receiving an answer, and am just beginning to
think thai the robber has been disappointed in
the lucrative prospects of the house, and made
off without carrying out his evil intentions.
The third time, however, some one stirs, and
a deep voice calls out, sleepily: "Who's
there? Sure it's never eight o'clock
mo" I call back, "but I want to speak TO
you. Open the door for a minute, please"
| hear a movement inside as of some one
stirring, and a voice grumbling discontentedly:
and then, just as my knees begin to tremble,
the door is opened, and our guest appears in
the doorway wearing a rapidly imprOvised
dressing gown In the shape of an ulster, her
thick hair straying over her face, which does
not wear its most salubrious expression. At
once | am aware that mother has been wrong
in her calculations, a conviction which natur-
ally does not tend TO the steadiness of either
my voice or ideas.
'There has been some mistake" l STAN
mered. you are not our cousin, after all.
You should have been ashamed to have treat
ed us so badly" l go on severely, as / fancy 1
detect symptoms of guilt In the face before
me.
Law, sakes!" exclaims my companion, ia
ken back at such a sudden attack, rubbing
her eyes and starring aghast at me.
"And I'd like to know who set up to be yOur
~cousin,' with a scornful emphasis on the
possessive pronoun, while an indignant flush
passes over her face. DO tell I" she cries out
wrathfully, her American accent coming out
strongly. "And I'd like TO know who's been
treated badly if it's not an honest servant
girl, brought here from Ameriky by them as
made her fair promises, and then turned her
adrift when she had served their purposes.
Didn't your mother engage me3 and I'd like
to know what she found to complain of al
ready"
Engage you," 1 echo, while 1 hear a faint
exclamation from the group gathered at the
foot of the stairs. .
yes, engage me-" she reiterates angrily,
land if you don't believe me In show you
the letter Mrs. Harvey got from her, and see
if you won't believe your own eyes"
"You don't need to- / respond, a light
breaking in on my mind. who do you say
engaged you9"
''Your mother" she repeats in an angry
tone, thinking 1 am trlfing with her, 'Mrs.
White, and I'll find her letter In a second,
too.n
''Then our names not White" I say, 'and
you've come to the wrong house. We expect
en- our cousin to-day, and when you arrived
of course we took you for her."
who may you be, then?' she inquiries,
somewhat staggered, but still defiant.
Mrs. White lives on the opposite side of the
odCCtl 4 say oONOhihBiJ1 ~ hOOuihS "a
question, and feeling that, after all, from the
poor woman's point Of view she has been
rather badly treated.
You had better go back to bed, and every
thing can be set right In the morning. / con-
tinued checrfully, AZ .sy companion bursts in
to an angry tit of tears. Then she closes the
door unceremoniously in my face, and / de-
scend the stairs to see the effect of the extra
ordinary revelations on the minds of the 9TH
ers. Jack and Ada are titterlng. see by the
twitching of the mems lips that their gravity
has been put to a severe test. Mother alone
looks vexed and annoyed.
Glad that It's nothing more serious than q
mistake, ma'am,'' says the tall policeman at
last. II think, as we're not needed, we'll say
good night and hen they go, leaving us feel
ing chagrined and small, but withal relieved.
Our indignant guest takes leave of us in the
early morning, and she and her belongings
are safely housed with Mrs. White, over the
way, who, 1t seems, had begun to despair of
her new handmade, and is unfeignedly glad
when she makes her appearance. Poor Maryi
her democratic ideas which she found so sat
isfactorily carried out In our house and at our
liable will doubtless receive a shock In her new
abode. Neither is 1t probable that her new
mistress win relegate to her her best spare
bedroom, so that 1t is to be feared her candidly
expressed opinion Of our country viii undergo
no change for the better.
The real Cousin Mary more than fulflls our
greatest expectations. She is tall and fair and
beautiful, in short, just what we can exhibit
to the St Clares and our various friends, with
pardoDable feelings of pride.
Many a time we indulge in a hearty laugh
when we look across the street aud see Mary